


what you're lookin' for (was here the whole time)

by regrettes



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Lesbian Character, Pining, Song: You Belong With Me (Taylor Swift), Songfic, don't talk to me about this song for another 7 years, it played like 300 fucking times, it's finally done holy shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 12:03:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19869346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regrettes/pseuds/regrettes
Summary: Emma helps a customer one day at the music store she works for, Electric Iguana, and when that customer comes back again, she realizes she might have a crush. Being in NYC however, she doesn't think that she's going to see much of her, until they share an english class together at NYU





	what you're lookin' for (was here the whole time)

**Author's Note:**

> if any of you talk to me about this specific taylor swift song for like seven years after this i might scream sing it at you

Emma hadn’t expected to catch feelings for a girl that came into Electric Iguana, but here she was, pouring over a stack of vinyls and thinking about Alyssa instead of sorting the new music. She knew that she was an idiot especially when the girl had come in and immediately asked about music for her boyfriend, but Emma couldn’t help how she felt. She kept thinking over the conversation, knowing that she was doomed from the moment she heard her voice.

“Yeah could you help me?” Alyssa had asked, brow furrowed as she looked around the store at the different vinyls and CDs that were in piles or on shelves. “I’m looking for my boyfriend’s favorite artist but I don’t know anything about the music or like... where it would be?” She gave a sheepish smile, clearly embarrassed that she didn’t know his music taste. Emma was used to that sort of question, but she found herself stunned into unresponsiveness for a moment or two because of how Alyssa seemed to light up the room. It wasn’t the type of feeling she usually got from this type of customer, so not only was it confusing in that sort, but the way her heart fluttered was confusing and kind of terrifying.

“I-Yeah! What artist are we looking for? Like, is he more indie or like pop? We have a lot of artists from the mainstream and some more obscure ones. If we don’t have it in stock either, I can always order it!” She put on her customer service voice, plastering a more confident smile on her face as she came around the counter. “I’m Emma by the way,” She held out her hand, Alyssa shaking it before looking around toward the Hip-Hop section.

“Uh, he’s really into Migos and Kanye West and things like that. So rap? Hip-hop? I’m not really sure... I’m more of the type to just listen to anything but rap...” Alyssa looked a little shy again, and the look gave Emma butterflies. She tried to focus on the information at hand, knowing the type of person that this girl was talking about. She’d dealt with them whenever a new album dropped, a sea of Sperry’s and polos came in, followed by the chains and basketball shorts. It was always the same, they always made a mess, but she just bit her tongue and tried to focus on reorganizing once they left.

“Okay, so Migos and Kanye I can work with. I actually might have the perfect thing,” Emma led Alyssa toward the section where they kept vinyls for that genre, beginning to sift through the stack until she found what she was looking for. Pulling it out she began speaking again, keeping her focus on the vinyl and not the deep brown eyes that were staring at her. “Okay, so this is a limited edition Migos vinyl. I don’t know if you know a lot about Migos or not, I really don’t either but, I know that we get a lot of guys asking about this one and I was told to say we were out of stock. But we have one left.”

Emma knew that her boss probably wanted that album for themself, but she also knew that she was a sucker for a pretty girl and she could just say that she didn’t know it was _that_ album. She told Alyssa about the sales that they were currently running where if she bought two vinyls one would be half off, getting the girl to also pick up a Taylor Swift vinyl before she sent her on her way. She thought that would be the last she’d see of Alyssa, but she didn’t know how wrong she was.

_You're on the phone with your boyfriend, he's upset_

_He's going off about something that you said_

_He doesn't get your humor like I do_

Alyssa had come in on the phone, arguing with Derek about something that was too far in for Emma to understand the actual problem. But she waited through the entire argument, wanting to make sure that Alyssa was alright, only to be greeted with, “You’d think he’d be more understanding. I-I mean, all I asked was if it would be cool if I missed date night because my mom’s in town.”

Emma furrowed her brow, wondering what kind of idiot would start a fight over that. They were in college and if Alyssa’s mom was in town that meant that she didn’t get to see her often. “You’re still going to see your mom, right?” She asked, regretting how concerned her voice sounded. She shouldn’t be this invested in someone she’s seen two or three times in her entire life, but she was.

“I-I told him we were still on for our date. I don’t want to cause any problems wi-” Alyssa started before Emma let out a hefty sigh and stopped her by gently taking her hand. In an instant Emma fell head over heels for those chocolate eyes and gentle smile.

“Alyssa,” She started, sighing again before squeezing her hand, “You don't get to see your mom often right?” She waited for Alyssa to nod and when she did, Emma gave a sad smile, “Exactly. So if she’s come all the way here from your hometown, then you should spend time with her instead of with a boyfriend who lives in the same town as you. You can see him almost any time, but we’re in college. Our family is super far away usually, so we need to take the time we get with them.”

Emma hadn’t expected Alyssa to listen to her, but she still accepted the hug that Alyssa gave her, trying her hardest not to melt into the slightly smaller girl before helping her find the newest album she was looking for and sending her on her way. The rest of her shift, Emma couldn’t shake the feeling of Alyssa’s hand in her own, and the way it felt to hug her.

_I'm in my room, it's a typical Tuesday night_

_I'm listening to the kind of music he doesn’t like_

_And he'll never know your story like I do_

On her days off, Emma usually found herself hiding in her dorm room from the world. She didn’t have many friends in college, but her roommate and her seemed to get along well enough. She picked on Emma’s music taste, but usually it was all in good fun. When your roommate only listens to Taylor Swift and Little Mix, getting someone who is the exact opposite is a little comedic. So when Emma found a punk cover of some Taylor Swift song, it seemed to bring peace between them.

That Tuesday however, she was back on her kick of listening to a playlist she made of niche indie music, not really caring if Ginger complained or not. She woke up that morning and couldn’t get Alyssa out of her head, wondering if she really was crazy for how she felt about the girl. Alyssa was probably straight and even if she wasn’t, she had a boyfriend and had only spoken to Emma twice. She just wanted to yell across the city that she should leave him just because of how he reacted to her mother being in town.

That wasn’t her place though, she had seen her maybe two or three times, and didn’t know everything about her. She definitely wanted to know everything about her, but there was no way that she was going to ask Alyssa for her number when she was working. That would be one of the creepiest moves she could pull. She’d just take the interactions she got, and take this ridiculous crush in stride.

_But he wears IZODs, I wear t-shirts_

_He's team captain and I'm on the bleachers_

_Dreaming about the day when you'll wake up and find_

_That what you're lookin' for was here the whole time_

Campus was large, Emma had expected that when she’d applied to NYU, but it also meant that she didn’t know every face on campus. So it came as very painful shock when she spotted Alyssa across the room in her English class on the first day back from break. She heard the shuffling of winter coats coming off and then she heard it. The laugh that had rung through the music store and stolen her heart. Her head bolted up and felt her heart stop as she saw her, and who she immediately assumed was Derek. She didn’t know if she was surprised by how he looked or not. He was dressed like how she expected a frat boy to dress after how many movies she’d watched growing up.

“Emma!” Alyssa said, clearly excited to see a face she recognized in the class. She saw the brunette come over and hug her, since Emma had frozen by a desk at the front of the room. She accepted the hug, grinning at how excited Alyssa was. “I didn’t know you went here! You should’ve said something! We could’ve compared schedules or gotten coffee!”

Emma furrowed her brow, looking back to where Alyssa’s boyfriend was sitting, looking over Emma a little too closely. It sent her blood running cold, but she shook it off as she looked down at Alyssa when she pulled away from the hug. “I didn’t know you went to NYU, there’s so many colleges around Electric Iguana that I didn’t want to assume!” She adjusted her backpack on her shoulder, meeting her eyes again as she ignored the way Alyssa’s smile made her heart miss a beat every time she saw it.

Without warning, Alyssa grabbed her hand and pulled her over to where she and Derek had sat, “You should sit by me! That way we can compare notes or group up if we need to!” It was like she’d forgotten that her boyfriend was in the class altogether, because Emma would assume she’d pair up with her boyfriend whenever she got the chance. But the blonde didn’t question it, knowing that she really should take any form of conversation with Alyssa she could. Plus, knowing that poetry wasn’t her strong suit, she’d need help decoding the ‘meaning behind the words.’

Derek seemed to feel left out, so he leaned over the desk and around Alyssa, holding out his hand. “Sup. Name’s Derek.” He didn’t smile, and almost seemed to recoil when Emma took his hand, her other one still in Alyssa’s. He glared down at it for a moment before Emma pulled her hands away from both of them, her cheeks a bright red as she looked between him and Alyssa.

“I-I’m Emma. I helped Alyssa find a gift for you once, seemed to strike up a friendship. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Emma offered, not sure how much she was lying about. She had helped Alyssa, but it didn’t feel nice to meet someone she didn’t have much of a good impression of. That was an internal debate she’d need to have later, class was starting and she was left with the unnerving glare of a man she barely knew, all while her crush sat between them, oblivious.

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you_

_Been here all along so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me_

Spring semester was a little more relaxed for Emma school wise, meaning she could pick up more shifts at work. When she wasn’t working however, she found herself texting Alyssa about English homework, or just about life. They’d struck off as close friends once class had gotten into motion, as it gave Emma an excuse to ask for her number and not feel weird. Now that they’d passed that point, it felt like there weren’t many boundaries to being friends with Alyssa. When she’d get up in the morning she’d stop at the Einstein’s bagels that was in the student center and grab coffee for the both of them. It had gotten to be such a routine that the baristas all knew what she needed when she came to the counter.

“Hi I need-” She started, before Kaylee held up her hand and smiled at her. She held that same hand out for Emma’s card, swiping it and motioning her down the line. If it wasn’t busy they’d make small talk, Kaylee always wondering who the mystery girl was that Emma would bring coffee. The tentative frenemies from high school had grown closer once college hit them with a reality check, and now they were just friends. “One day I’ll tell you Kayls,” Emma promised, shouldering her bag once more and scooping up the two lattes before jogging out the door.

Sliding into her seat, she smiled and leaned over to place Alyssa’s coffee on her desk. It was a routine for them at this point, but Emma never missed a chance to see Alyssa smile, her heart still skipping after a month of coffee and poetry. It had gotten to the point where some days Emma would scribble lame haikus on the cup for Alyssa to see so she could hear her laugh. Derek would give her a look whenever she did that caused her to feel panic rise in her chest, but nothing had really happened to cause for that feeling. She just didn’t get a good feeling about having him in her life. Maybe it was selfish, because she really did like Alyssa, but she felt like there was more to it than just that.

_You belong with me_

_Walkin' the streets with you in your worn out jeans_

_I can't help thinkin this is how it ought to be_

_Laughing on the park bench thinkin to myself_

_Hey isn't this easy?_

As the winter air nipped at the tips of Emma’s ears, she pulled her beanie a little tighter on her head and grinned over to Alyssa. They’d decided to go off campus to get coffee one Saturday and just talk about life. Emma had spent a week back with her grandma, Betsy, and Alyssa hadn’t told her how things had been with Derek and him meeting her mother over Easter. She’d been interested in knowing, even if it was because she had a slight hope that Mrs. Greene had the same idea about him that she did. They huddled together, holding hands through their gloves to try and keep some sort of feeling in them. Emma tried to pretend that it was normal for friends to hold hands and that this was the normal rhythm her heart had.

“So how did it go? I know you said your mom’s super tough on new people you bring around, but was she extra tough because you’re dating him?” Emma kept her voice soft, trying not to let her teeth chatter too much. She was trying to pretend that she wasn’t phased by the cold, even though she wanted nothing more than to be cuddled in her bed with Netflix and snacks. She’d thought about asking if Alyssa just wanted to do that instead, but they were already off campus so the walk back would be just as bad, if not worse.

Alyssa sighed and leaned a little closer to Emma as they walked, which didn’t seem like a good sign at all. “My mom wasn’t happy. She said that he seemed too uptight, which is something coming from a woman who wears pantsuits every day,” She giggled, making Emma’s heart soar. She wasn’t sure why but it was like the sounds of angel’s trumpets. “But she told me he gave off a really bad vibe to her when I was helping with dinner. I thought he was being nice, he seemed like his normal self.” She seemingly shrugged it off as if it were nothing, but Emma knew that love could be blinding at times.

“I’m sure she has a point, but you’d think he would have put on a show at least for your mom. From my experience watching people’s relationships, that’s usually what happens right? That your partner puts on some big show of being the best version of themselves?” Emma had no idea if that was actually how relationships worked, but it’s what she knew from television so it would have to do.

“I mean, usually you would think so. He’s the first boyfriend I’ve let my mom meet, but I guess no one was ready for that,” Alyssa shrugged, falling silent for a moment before they entered the coffee shop. They placed their order, Emma insisting on paying for Alyssa as always, before the moved off to the side to wait for their drinks. “You know,” Alyssa started, looking over to Emma as she processed what she was about to say next, “I think you and my mother would get along well. She’s not super... accepting, but she’s not the outright worst. But I feel like you’re the type of person that she’d click well with, you’re so nice and you’re really funny, and you do stuff like force me to let you pay for my hot chocolate...” She trailed off, the last sentence unable to be made out but Emma caught the word boyfriend in there and furrowed her brow. She wondered what Alyssa had said, but refused to push it, happily taking their drinks as a means of escaping the conversation before they were headed back out the door. The walk back they were more focused on keeping warm with their drinks that they didn’t talk as much, leaving Emma alone with her thoughts. Alyssa thought she was funny, and that made her heart flutter as she thought more about it.

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town_

_I haven't seen it in a while, since he brought you down_

_You say you’re fine I know you better than that_

_Hey, whatcha doing with a guy like that?_

After Derek had met Mrs. Greene, Alyssa hadn’t smiled as often. She’d been acknowledging his presence in class less, and it led to Emma wondering if they were still together. She didn’t want to ask though, feeling like it pushed some unspoken bounds. It wasn’t her concern at first, not until Derek cornered her after class one day. Alyssa had to leave early to pick her mother up from the airport again, Mrs. Greene deciding she wanted to visit yet again for the weekend, so that left just the pair behind to duke it out. Emma had no plans to duke it out with a man almost double her size however, so when she was shoved into the wall she let out a yelp of surprise. “Dude!” She shouted, glaring over at him, “What is your deal?”

“What is my deal?” He asked, scoffing and stepped closer. The hall was fairly well deserted as there wasn’t a class in that room for another hour. “My deal is that you’re trying to steal my girlfriend and I don’t need that,” his voice was scarily calm as he took another step toward Emma, “I see the way you look at her, the way you write her poems on her stupid coffee cup. You’re in love with her. But she’s straight, and dating _me_. Not you.”

Emma knew that his fist was clenched and that fighting back wasn’t a good option, but the idea that she was in love with Alyssa hit her like a ton of bricks. She wasn’t ready for it, and retaliation was her first defense, “You know, even if I was in love with Alyssa, at least I’d have a better chance at impressing her mother. Instead of acting like a self-centered asshole.” She barely got the last word out before his fist connected with her face and she saw stars. Her head hit the wall and her bag dropped to the ground. “What the fuck!” She shouted, grabbing her face with one hand and swinging with the other, missing by a long shot. She heard Derek laugh and grabbed her bag, huffing and hoping that this was just a one time occurrence. She wasn’t sure that it would be, but she knew that she needed it to be.

She made it back to her dorm room, ignoring Ginger as she asked what happened, not wanting to really get into it at this point. His words echoed in her head, _was she in love with Alyssa?_ She knew that she loved the girl a little more than a friend probably should, but she didn’t know if it had really escalated to that level yet. That was when she decided she needed to talk to Kaylee. She needed to know if what she was feeling was close to what Kaylee felt when she met Shelby. She looked in the mirror before she left to see how bad the damage was, knowing that Kaylee would ask about it, but she didn’t have the time or skills to cover it with makeup.

_He wears high tops, I wear sneakers_

_he's team captain and I'm on the bleachers_

“Emma! What the fuck happened to your eye?” Kaylee asked, startled as the wild eyed blonde came up to the counter pretty much out of breath. Emma had expected that question and just waved her off, not wanting to get into it. What she hadn’t expected was Kaylee to press the subject, coming out from behind the counter and pulling Emma to a table. “Emma, I’m serious. What the fuck happened.”

“Look, I pretty much deserved it. But you know that girl... the one I won’t tell you the name of?” Emma asked, blushing slightly at the mention of Alyssa, “Well, she went to go pick her mom up from the airport in the middle of lecture today and her boyfriend and I might have gotten into an argument. I might have said something that he didn’t like, and he might’ve hit me. But that’s not why I’m here.”

Kaylee brought her hand up to her friend’s face, noting how the black eye was already forming and getting fairly dark. She knew it would be noticeable, but Emma also knew that she could just say she tripped down the stairs and hit her face. She could play it off fairly well if anyone, especially Alyssa, asked questions. “Emma, you need to ice that when you get back to your dorm. It’ll help the swelling, but if that’s not why you’re here then what is? Are you finally going to tell me her name, or are we going to keep dancing around it?”

“Fine, only because it pertains to why I’m here. I-Her name’s Alyssa Greene. She’s a psych major, but we have English together. She came into the Electric Iguana one day asking about music for her boyfriend and I’ve been a goner ever since. But- this happened because he said I was in love with her and I can’t sort my feelings out, it’s like there’s something there but I can’t let it out because I’m scared. She’s straight, right? So why am I still stuck on this stupid crush?” Emma was rambling at this point, but she wasn’t worried about Kaylee telling her to shut up, “She’s just, so beautiful and so kind. She always likes the poems i write on her cups, and she holds my hand when we go places...”

Kaylee watched with a smile on her face, looking over how her friend reacted to talking freely about her feelings. She had her head tilted slightly as she watched, noting how Emma seemed to get a softer look to her face. She knew that look all too well. “Emma,” She started, taking the girl’s hand with a soft laugh, “You can’t let go of your feelings because they’re getting stronger, aren’t they? Like, you find yourself thinking about her when she’s not even around? It’s why you started getting her coffee in the first place, and you probably know her favorite flowers?-”

“Daffodils, but sunflowers and lilies are right behind those.”

“Exactly my point Emma. You notice the small stuff about her without even being with her that way. You know ways to make her smile, and you probably could go on for hours about her. That’s exactly how I was with Shelby when I first fell in love with her. That’s how I am with her now, and we’ve been dating for two years,” Kaylee chuckled, a fond smile passed over her face as she thought about her own girlfriend. It had been the first thing that brought them together in college, seeing Kaylee really leave her past behind her when she found love after high school. “But that’s the same look that you have right now, and that’s why I am going to tell you with the utmost confidence that you are falling and falling hard.”

“Oh fuck,” Emma sighed, hearing her phone ring at the worst possible time. She pulled it out of her jacket pocket, eyes going wide as she read Alyssa’s name on the screen. She looked at Kaylee with wide eyes and answered, “Hey! I’m super sorry I forgot our lunch plans with you and your mom, I had something happen after class, but I promise I’m on my way right now!” She felt the panic rise in her chest at the idea of Alyssa seeing her like this, but she knew that this was the moment she was supposed to meet Mrs. Greene. “The Brass Kettle? You got it! I’ll be there in like, ten to fifteen? I just have to drive over. Okay! Love ya, bye!” She ended the call and stood from her seat, looking over to Kaylee before her friend waved her off yelling after her to buy flowers to apologize.

_Dreaming bout the day when you'll wake up and find_

_That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

Emma threw herself out of her car, looking up at the slightly fancier restaurant and feeling underdressed. She’d been here once before with her grandma when she’d last visited, but now she was just in her plain clothes. She looked down at the small bouquet of daffodils that she’d picked up along the way, heart hammering in her chest as she entered the restaurant. She looked around, telling the hostess that she was meeting a pair of ladies, before seeing Alyssa’s smile. She almost melted on sight, giving a goofy grin and letting herself be led to the table. Before she sat she held out the flowers to Alyssa, “I-Uh, I bought you these to say sorry for forgetting about the lunch plans, I didn’t mean to. Uhm, I got daffodils because they’re your favorite, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh Emma, you didn’t have to get me flowers, you’re so sweet,” Alyssa grinned, taking them before looking over to her mother and taking a deep breath. She seemed to notice Emma’s bruising, but didn’t ask about it right now, knowing that it wasn’t something she should probably immediately bring up in front of her mother. “Emma, this is my mother. Mom, this is Emma, one of my best friends.” Emma quickly held out her hand for the woman, trying to be sure that it didn’t tremble too bad as she thought about how this woman could hate her right away just for looking gay.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Greene, your daughter is one of my favorite parts of my day. It’s great to finally get to meet the woman that raised her,” Emma’s eyes softened as she looked at the older woman, hoping that she could make a good impression. She wanted to be liked, if only because she remembered what her parents thought of her when she came out.

Mrs. Greene took her hand, shaking it lightly before motioning for Emma to sit down with a tentative smile, “It’s really nice to finally meet the friend that Alyssa talks about so often. You’d think that coming from being popular in high school she’d be one of those party girls? Not my Alyssa, she’s so good and studious. I’m glad she found someone else like her here, not like that boyfriend-”

“Mom, can we not talk about Derek? Please?” Alyssa looked over to Emma, eyes pleading. Emma knew that she had to think quick to figure out what she was supposed to do to distract Mrs. Greene from talking about Derek, but she was stopped in her tracks as Mrs. Greene decided to ask her about her eye instead.

Bringing her hand up to touch the bruising slightly, she winced, “I-Uh,” Crap, she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t tell them it was Derek, Alyssa had just asked not to talk about him. But she also hadn’t thought up a story on how it happened. “I fell down some stairs after class. Hit my eye on the corner of a stair.” She knew it was a terrible lie, but she hoped that it would be enough for now. One look on Alyssa’s face and she knew that the girl didn’t buy it, but she looked over to Mrs. Greene and saw the same look.

“Now Emma,” Mrs. Greene started, reaching over and giving a soft squeeze to the girl’s hand, “If you don’t want to talk about what really happened, that’s alright but just know that it’s safe here to talk about stuff like that. Alyssa and I won’t judge you.” This woman was nothing like Emma had expected and the only thing saving her from saying what actually happened was the waitress coming over and asking about their food order and Emma’s drink order. She was offered alcohol, but that felt weird being as it was two in the afternoon, so she politely declined saying she didn’t drink. Once they were left alone again, Emma let Alyssa lead most of the conversation, smiling and watching with a soft look on her face. She answered questions directed at her, but simply enjoyed being able to see this side of Alyssa, and see how her mother reacted to Emma in general.

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you_

_Been here all along so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me_

After lunch with Alyssa’s mother, their cycle went back to normal. Emma would bring Alyssa coffees with poems on them and talk to her about their class. Alyssa would stop by Emma’s work and bring her dinner some nights, other nights she’d bring in Derek to look at the music while she made idle conversation with Emma. The blonde usually found herself a little more on edge when it was both of them instead of just Alyssa. Maybe it was because of never telling Alyssa what really happened, or it was the glares that Derek sent her way, but she tried not to focus on it too much.

One day, along with the coffee poem, Emma showed up to class with a single lily that she found on her walk around campus. She’d stuck it in the cup sleeve so it was a nicer decoration than just setting it beside it. She didn’t miss how Alyssa’s face lit up at the sight of it. She fell more and more as each day passed, finding more reasons to try and hang out with Alyssa so that she could just see her smile once more each day.

_Standin by, just waiting at your back door_

_All this time how could you not know baby?_

_You belong with me_

_You belong with me_

Emma was supposed to lock up the record shop and head over to Alyssa’s for a movie night with her and a couple other girls, no boys allowed. But what she hadn’t expected was those other girls to include Kaylee and Shelby, who watched her walk in with the biggest grin on their faces. She was greeted with a big hug from Alyssa, one she felt might have lasted just a beat or two too long. She didn’t mind, but it definitely gave Kaylee something to text her about while they watched the movie. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket two or three times before Alyssa, who was snuggled into her side, poked it with a chuckle. “You gonna get that? It could be important. Like a girl, or your grandma?” Her voice was teasing, but there was something in her eyes that Emma couldn’t quite place.

She pulled it out and checked her home screen, rolling her eyes and looking over to where Shelby and Kaylee were laying on top of each other. “It’s just dumb and dumber over there,” She set her phone on her lap and wrapped her free arm around Alyssa once more without a second thought. Her phone went off more throughout the night, but it wasn’t until the movie was over that she actually looked at what they said. Around the same time she started to read them, another girl that Emma couldn’t quite remember the name of asked what she thought about Derek and she went ghost white. She swallowed thickly and looked over at Kaylee and Shelby for help before Alyssa put a hand on her’s and smiled. “I- He’s not exactly the nicest person I’ve ever met, but I mean. If he makes Alyssa happy, then who am I to stand in the way of someone... being in love.”

Kaylee wasn’t here for Emma beating around the bush however, glaring directly at her, “Emma, you know that just saying he ‘isn’t the nicest’ isn’t right.” She shot Kaylee a look, begging her to shut up but everyone was already asking what she meant, Emma’s hand shaking under Alyssa’s but she just swallowed her pride and grimaced.

“I-no, he’s not the nicest. Alyssa,” She sighed, looking over to the girl with a sad look in her eyes. She almost melted as she met the girl’s dark eyes, but held it together so she could speak, “When I wouldn’t tell you about what happened to my eye, it was because it was Derek. I-I don’t hold it against him, but he punched me in the eye and that’s why I was late to lunch with you and your mom.”

Alyssa looked between Emma and Kaylee, looking for any signs that either girl was lying before pulling her hand away from Emma’s and pulling out her phone, not saying a word as she hit the call button. “Derek? Is it true that you punched Emma? Did you really punch my- No! I don’t care that she’s a lesbian! She’s my _best friend_ Derek! I-You have no proof of that!” The argument continued for a while, some of the girls wondering if they should give Alyssa privacy, so most of them went out into the hallway to let her hash it out, but the look on her face made Emma want to stay and hug her when it was all over. The conversation continued a little longer before she hung up on him and threw her phone onto the bed, wrapping her arms tightly around Emma. “I’m so sorry he did that Emma, you should have told me sooner,” She whispered, pressing a light kiss to Emma’s cheek before telling everyone else it was okay to come in, no one missing how they stayed that close the rest of the night.

_Oh I remember driving to your house in the middle of the night_

_I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry_

_I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams_

_I think I know where you belong. I think I know it's with me._

Emma made it a point to hug Alyssa whenever she could after that night, remembering how tight Alyssa had hugged her after her phone call. She wanted Alyssa to know that she was a safe place and that she was never going to judge her for things. Whether that be staying with Derek, or when she decided to dip her pickles in peanut butter just to freak Shelby out. And for a while, things felt like they were okay. That things were going back to normal. Emma and Alyssa’s closeness caused some people to question if there was more than friendship, but Emma didn’t let herself think that way anymore.

Not even when Alyssa called her at three in the morning crying and she ran across campus to try and fix whatever was wrong. Without a second thought she grabbed her ukulele, thinking that maybe singing to Alyssa might help calm her down. When she got there, she pulled her friend into the tightest hug imaginable, her heart shattering as she heard Alyssa speak, “H-He cheated...” She felt a fire erupt in her chest, wanting to rip him to shreds, but the way Alyssa was shaking meant that she wasn’t about to move off of her bed. She let Alyssa close the door and pulled the ukulele out of the case, a soft smile on her lips. She began strumming, singing softly to Alyssa, not missing a beat as Alyssa spoke again, “This is my favorite song...”

The rest of the night was spent singing softly, or telling dad jokes to Alyssa to cheer her up, and it started to work. But the next day was different, Emma waking up holding Alyssa in her arms and panicking for a minute before she remembered why she was there. She gave a soft smile, hearing the slight snore coming from the girl. It only made her more endearing, even as she felt the slight drool puddle on her t-shirt. She simply snuggled back into Alyssa and let herself drift in and out of daydreams until she felt the girl stir. “Mornin’,” Alyssa mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes before smiling at Emma. If it hadn’t been for that smile, Emma wouldn’t have noticed how close their faces were. If Emma hadn’t noticed how close they were, she wouldn’t have to fight off the urge to kiss Alyssa, but she resisted. Barely.

_If you could see that I'm the one who understand you_

_Been here all along so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me_

The rest of the semester passed and Emma felt her heart ache as summer approached, finally getting up the courage to ask if Alyssa was going to be flying back to Indiana for the summer. She mentioned that her Grandma was going to have her help out at the farm over the summer, so she’d be closer to Edgewater than her hometown of Lima, Ohio. It meant that maybe, if Alyssa was going to be there for the summer, they could get lunch now and again. Or dinner, if Emma was doing farm work over the lunch hour. They hashed out plans and as time at NYU’s campus came to a close, she geared up to get a nasty farmer’s tan, and to see Betsy again.

What she hadn’t taken into account was seeing Alyssa while they were home for the summer meant seeing her mother as well, who always seemed to greet her with the warmest hugs. She gave Emma a knowing look, noting how she turned up to pick up Alyssa for every lunch or dinner excursion she always brought flowers. She was more obvious now than she was at college, but it was simply because now she knew that she wasn’t going to be punched for giving her flowers.

_Standing by just waiting at your back door_

_All this time how could you not know baby_

_You belong with me_

_You belong with me_

She started showing up at the Greene’s house so often that it became second nature to her to come around to the back door and find Alyssa standing in the kitchen singing along to music. She’d knock on the kitchen window and grin a shit eating grin before Alyssa would pull her inside. She thought about maybe telling Alyssa how she felt, that maybe this could be real between them, because it felt real to her. But something about just saying it threw her off, she couldn’t find the right words. So she decided she’d hatch a plan, getting Mrs. Greene’s approval and blessing first. Even if Alyssa’s mother hadn’t said Alyssa liked women, the idea that she’d give the approval for Emma to ask her on an actual date, or to confess her feelings meant the world to Emma. It also spurred her on a little more.

She packed a picnic for her and Alyssa one day, writing her feelings down in a note and mentally preparing to give it to the girl she’d effectively been in love with since late December. She and Alyssa walked hand in hand down the road to the park, finding a comfortable spot in the shade to eat and watch the ducks in the small pond. “I-Alyssa?” Emma asked, fumbling with the note in her hands as she looked over to the brunette. She had her back turned to Emma, but she was fiddling with something in her own hands as she turned around to face the blonde. “I-I wrote you this because I’m not very good with words,” She squeezed her eyes shut as she thrust the note in front of her, hearing Alyssa giggle and swap out the piece of paper with what felt like another one.

Puzzled, Emma unfolded the replacement and felt her heart melt. Between the swooping cursive and several hearts drawn along the page, Emma was a goner. Reading the contents, she felt all of the air leave her lungs. “I-” She started, but Alyssa was already in front of her again, finishing her sentence for her, “Love you. I-I love you.” She said before leaning up and pressing the softest kiss to Emma’s lips. It was everything Emma had ever thought it would be and so much more. The kiss didn’t last long, but that didn’t matter to Emma, it was perfect.

_Have you ever thought just maybe?_

_You belong with me_

Summer passed with ease after the picnic, but Fall brought the return of school and a fresh, new perspective on the relationship that had blossomed. Balancing classes and a relationship was easy compared to last year, poems on coffee cups leading to poems left on the white board on Alyssa’s door. Stolen kisses before class turned into nights spent ignoring their homework together. Nights and eventually semesters passed with little care for getting older. Things remained easy for Emma and Alyssa relationship wise, even if finals were still a bitch. When graduation rolled around for the pair, Emma was surprised when Alyssa dropped to one knee and pulled a ring box out of her mom’s purse.

_You belong with me_


End file.
